Fast forward to today, and Dr. Woo's star is ever-climbing, with tens of thousands of tattoos, nearly 2 million Instagram followers, and a line of after-care products from his eponymous skin-care brand under his belt. What he hopes people take away from his work, however, goes beyond whom he's inked or what he's achieved.
"I want to set an example that it doesn't matter what category you're put in from birth, you can do it your way," he said. "I was told my whole life that I could only be one of two things, not only by society but my parents as well. They immigrated here and worked their butts off to give me a great life, but that came with a pressure to be something I'm not — a doctor or lawyer or professional violin player. The arts is not something that Asian parents traditionally want their kids to aim for, so it was hard to make my own way, but I did. I created a creative empire for myself, and I did it my way."
Dr. Woo serves as proof that carving your own path to success doesn't come with a one-size-fits-all manual, or even require loads of money or encouragement. Rather, it's what you make of it, and what you give back to those around you.
"Happiness and being comfortable, or having a lot of money, isn't necessarily contingent on success. Success in the home and inspiring others to be better people — that's what's going to change the world."
Image Source: Photos courtesy of Dr. Woo / Illustrations by Becky Jiras